1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of edge trim and molding which serve as protector devices which are used to form a protective barrier around the edge of products such as articles of furniture including desks, cabinets, movable carts, etc. The present invention relates to the general area of flexible protecting edge trim which are affixed to the edge of articles such as furniture in a fixed manner to thereby protect the edge and the remainder of the furniture surface from being cut, scraped, nicked or otherwise defaced when another object is hit against it. The present invention further relates to the field of attaching apparatus which are used to attach the edge protector in a nonremovable manner to the article.
2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In general, edge protection devices and in particular devices which are used to join one object to another are known in the prior art. The following patents are representative of the known prior art in this area:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,219,239 issued to Schaffert et al in 1940 for "strip Fastener For Window Glass".
2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,780 issued to Apissomian on Mar. 12, 1985 for "Table With Resilient Edge".
3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,981 issued to Pfaehler on Aug. 29, 1989 for "Cabinet-Like Furniture Unit Of Cellular Structure".
4. U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,108 issued to Craddock et al on Dec. 24, 1963 for "Table".
5. U.S. Pat. No. 2,569,532 issued to Marshall et al on Oct. 2, 1951 for "Joining Device".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,780 to Apissomian basically relates to a furniture construction item which includes an outer protective strip or edging 16. The edging is described in detail in Column 2, lines 62 through 68 and column 3, lines 1 through 26 and is substantially different from the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,981 issued to Pfaehler for "Cabinet-Like Furniture Unit Of Cellular Structure" is relevant for the protective T-shaped edge 16. Although not specifically called out, it appears that this edge protector 16 includes a central shaft of the T which has rib-like members that fit into an opening within the wall 9 or 10 (in FIGS. 2 and 3). However, the central T-shaped member with grippers thereon appears to be one single strip and is somewhat comparable to a well known piece of rubber material having a centralized rubber gripping member forming the central shaft of the T.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,108 issued to Craddock for a "Table" shows an edge protector or beading 27 which includes a transverse flange 28 (it is hard to see from the picture but the relevant text is in column 2 beginning on line 8). However, this design requires that the beading which includes the elongated continuous flange 28 should be affixed to the table by either cement or staples. Therefore, it does not have the gripping feature of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,569,532 issued to Marshall for "Joining Device" does have transverse gripping members, but its function is to join two pieces of material such as wood at their corners by having the invention piece inserted at the corner with the transverse tangs or teeth 17 projecting into the material.
What is also known in the prior art is a piece of rubberized edge molding in the general shape of the "T", with the horizontal portion of the "T" being an arcuate rubberized piece which lies along the edge of the object to be protected and the shaft portion of the "T" being a serrated piece of rubber having grooves. The piece of molding is inserted into a slot in the furniture item by pushing or hammering the "T" molding such that the serrated shaft portion is squeezed into the slot and is retained therein by the serrated or grooved edges along the length of the shaft. A major problem with this prior art embodiment is that the serrated or grooved rubber shaft portion does not grip an object such as wood firmly and the rubberized molding frequently comes loose. This is also an apparent problem associated with each of the edge molding embodiments shown in the patents described above. While a rubberized molding which is retained through a rubber insert may initially hold firm, as the rubber ages and begins to harden, the gripping between the serrations or grooved edges of the rubber and the wood, plastic or other material into which it has been driven is loosened and the edge molding itself then comes loose and falls off the object. Therefore, a significant need exists for an improved edge protector configuration which will securely retain the edge molding within and on the object to be protected.